3 more days of 2025 Wimbledon, and with some of the biggest matches coming up, Wimbledon has decided to bring in the big guns. There’s Carlos Alcaraz, the defending Champion, playing Number 5 seed Taylor Fritz in the semi-final, and to officiate the match, we have Marijana Veljovic at the seat. The 36-year-old Serbian is one of the most prominent Chair Umpires on the circuit and the most famous female official right now.

Who is Marijana Veljovic? A gold badge chair umpire

The 38-year-old has officiated some of the biggest games in the Grand Slams and is part of the ITF Grand Slam squad. Having received her Gold Badge for umpiring in 2015, Marijana Veljovic has officiated in both men’s and women’s matches, with lawful authority. She has never shied away from dishing out penalties for violations and infringements, including having a feisty verbal joust with Jannik Sinner in the R16 match of Wimbledon in 2023.

She has also been on the chair for the Finals of various Grand Slams multiple times, which shows how adept she is in her profession. And she showed that in the Alcaraz-Fritz match when a serious emergency hit the match, not once but twice.

Officiating during a heat-interrupted match

She had to take center stage in the big Wimbledon semi-final when extreme heat forced play to stop. The 31°C searing heat saw a fan in the East Stand get ill, and Veljovic immediately stopped the match, helped by a ball boy who brought a water bottle to the fan, everyone waited for the condition to get better.

Handling the crisis, Marijana Veljovic started the match again. Yet another emergency would halt the match, and even in the same game, only while it was 4-3 in the 2nd set. This time, it was an issue in the West Stand behind the Chair. The Umpire had to take a call on the court, and a Wimbledon official arrived to have a chat with her. Meanwhile, the ball boys provided the elderly lady with water. Thankfully, she was able to walk out of the stand to receive treatment from the medics.

The play was resumed by Veljovic after ensuring everything was normal and everyone was safe. But the players did feel it, the excruciating conditions, as Carlos Alcaraz even had his say.

Marijana Veljovic’s career highlights & background

Born in Serbia, Veljovic’s first apex moment in tennis came in 2018 when she officiated the Australian Open Final between Caroline Wozniacki and Simona Halep. And then she was the Chair Umpire when Halep beat Serena Williams in straight sets in the 2019 Wimbledon Final. In fact, Wimbledon is the Grand Slam where she debuted as an Umpire.

Most recently, she oversaw the 2025 French Open Final and the mammoth battle between Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka. Now, she showed her leadership and ability to handle pressure moments in the high-profile match between Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz. But she has always been a powerful woman who has tried to advocate for promoting women’s participation in tennis officiating.

Way back in 2018, after officiating in the Davis Cup Final, she gave a video interview, voicing support for gender parity. “We have 3.5 times less female officials than male,” Veljovic had said, according to Tennis.com. “If you are good enough, you should be there, no matter of the gender.” And she mentioned how the problem lies in women not being encouraged to pursue their line of work. Well, Marijana Veljovic is an impressive professional who also has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and auditing.

Why did Marijana Veljovic’s role matter in this match?

With so much attention that comes with a semi-final match at Wimbledon, eyes from all over the world on the huge event, the Centre Court being the focus, you need nerves of steel and people who can make the best judgements. Marijana Veljovic showed that not only in her officiating of the match, but also in how she dealt with the health emergencies and averted any major mishap.

In the semi-final tie where Carlos Alcaraz eventually prevailed to set a date with World No. 1 on July 13, her decisions to suspend the play were timely, decisive, and crucial for player and spectator welfare. She deserves praise for an amazing display of composure and compassion. Catch every key moment from the Championships as it happens.